Formulate housing plan

Published: Thursday, January 24, 2013 at 08:00 AM.

In dealing a setback to a proposed apartment complex, the Panama City Commission Tuesday laid the groundwork for moving forward on a broader policy discussion.

Commissioners voted unanimously to reject a request to rezone a parcel of land at the corner of 19th Street and Wood Avenue, where a developer has plans to build affordable housing units for elderly residents. Commissioner Billy Rader raised concerns about increased traffic in the area and the potential impact on the water and sewer system. There also were worries about rezoning from “freshwater forested/shrub wetland” to “mixed use,” which is a significant change.

But it was Commissioner John Kady who focused on the bigger picture: Does the city even want these kinds of developments?

He noted that three such affordable housing proposals have been presented to the Planning Board and said he was concerned about the city becoming the “affordable housing capital of Bay County.”

Furthermore, he questioned what was driving the plans — public demand or “free” government money? The developers are relying on tax credits from the Florida Housing Finance Corporation to fund the projects, and Kady says Panama City is the only area that has the surrounding amenities that meet the government’s standards to receive the credits.

“We don’t want to end up being the place in the community where all the jobs and all the affluence is somewhere else and we are left with all the government-type housing,” Kady said. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

The city needs to openly discuss and decide what exactly it’s looking for in affordable housing — and what it’s not. Is there a need for it, in particular for the elderly? The population is aging, with millions of baby boomers reaching retirement age over the next 20 years. Not all of them will be able to afford condos or houses.

In dealing a setback to a proposed apartment complex, the Panama City Commission Tuesday laid the groundwork for moving forward on a broader policy discussion.

Commissioners voted unanimously to reject a request to rezone a parcel of land at the corner of 19th Street and Wood Avenue, where a developer has plans to build affordable housing units for elderly residents. Commissioner Billy Rader raised concerns about increased traffic in the area and the potential impact on the water and sewer system. There also were worries about rezoning from “freshwater forested/shrub wetland” to “mixed use,” which is a significant change.

But it was Commissioner John Kady who focused on the bigger picture: Does the city even want these kinds of developments?

He noted that three such affordable housing proposals have been presented to the Planning Board and said he was concerned about the city becoming the “affordable housing capital of Bay County.”

Furthermore, he questioned what was driving the plans — public demand or “free” government money? The developers are relying on tax credits from the Florida Housing Finance Corporation to fund the projects, and Kady says Panama City is the only area that has the surrounding amenities that meet the government’s standards to receive the credits.

“We don’t want to end up being the place in the community where all the jobs and all the affluence is somewhere else and we are left with all the government-type housing,” Kady said. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

The city needs to openly discuss and decide what exactly it’s looking for in affordable housing — and what it’s not. Is there a need for it, in particular for the elderly? The population is aging, with millions of baby boomers reaching retirement age over the next 20 years. Not all of them will be able to afford condos or houses.

Does Panama City want to attract that segment to move or remain here by offering affordable housing? If so, where does it want these projects to be located? And does the city want to give preference to fully privately funded developments over ones that receive tax credits or other public incentives and subsidies? (That might effectively reduce the proposals to zero.)

Kady at Tuesday’s meeting said with regard to rezoning: “People need predictability in their community. If they think that at any moment the leaders are going to turn their back and change the property use so somebody can come in and put in anything, they don’t invest in your community.”

He’s right, and rezoning — especially one as significant as affecting woodlands and wetlands — should be done judiciously. But predictability applies also to developers. If the city’s goal is to discourage affordable housing developments, then advocates need to know up front that they should look elsewhere.

The developer told the commission Tuesday that “all the data indicates there is a need for elderly housing.” Commissioners agreed that a feasibility study and other information should be submitted before the issue returns to them. Kady’s remarks should spur the city to formulate an official policy on affordable housing that addresses purpose, location and funding, for current and future projects.

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